Pregnancy among Hispanic teenagers: is good parental communication a deterrent?

Abstract

Effective communication between Hispanic parents and teens about sexual issues may deter adolescent pregnancy, yet little is known about the prevalence or impact of such communication. The study examined this potential relationship in a cohort of urban Hispanic adolescents. A questionnaire was administered to a non-random sample of pregnant and non-pregnant Hispanic women aged 12-18 years attending inner city schools in Los Angeles to obtain demographic, sexual activity and communication information. Logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the independent contribution of risk factors to teenage pregnancy. Good communication with one's mother was inversely related to pregnancy; the adjusted odds ratio of pregnancy if the mother told the daughter about sex was 0.3 (95% CI 0.2-0.6). Friends' love was also inversely related to pregnancy (odds ratio 0.7; 95% CI 0.6-0.8). In order of increasing strength, alcohol and drug use, favorable attitude toward premarital sex, receipt of welfare, older age at menarche, and older age were all significantly related to pregnancy. Pregnant Hispanic teenagers have poorer communication with their parents than do other Hispanic teens. Efforts to reduce the incidence of adolescent pregnancy among Hispanics may need to address not only family communication but also issues outside the home such as alcohol and recreational drugs.

PIP: Hispanic adolescents in the US, compared to their White counterparts, have a higher fertility rate (105/1000 in 1989) and give birth at younger ages. To identify the determinants of this phenomenon, 188 pregnant and 147 nonpregnant Hispanics 12-18 years of age attending schools in Los Angeles, California, were interviewed. It was hypothesized that good parent-child communication would be inversely related to adolescent pregnancy. The mean age at first intercourse was 14.8 years for nonpregnant subjects and 13.9 years for pregnant teens. The univariate analysis revealed that pregnant adolescents had significantly poorer communication with their mothers (odds ratio 3.2, 95% confidence interval, 1.7-5.0), were more accepting of premarital sex, and reported greater use of drugs and alcohol than nonpregnant teens. In the multivariate analysis, communication with mother and a sense of being loved by friends were inversely related to pregnancy. Older age, positive attitude toward premarital sex, low age at menarche, and drug and alcohol use were positively associated with pregnancy. Communication with mother was measured through scaled responses to three questions: Did mother tell you about menstruation? Did mother tell you about sex? How well does mother listen?